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Community Policing Nugget

The Role of Technology in Community Policing

Technology can be leveraged in specific ways to enhance the implementation of
the community policing philosophy. Technology can increase the effectiveness of
problem-solving and partnership initiatives and assist in the implementation of
organizational changes designed to institutionalize these processes.

Problem Solving

Robust information systems that supply timely and accurate data to analysts and
officers can contribute significantly to enhanced problem-solving efforts. Problem
solving can be information-intensive and often requires access to both traditional data
(offender information, incident reports, calls for service) and nontraditional data (physical
characteristics of locations, property owners/managers, increased victim information) that
can allow for the improved identification and analysis of problems. Agencies have also
had success developing databases of problem-solving initiatives. These databases allow
for the sharing of knowledge regarding problems and innovative responses throughout an
agency and maintain an ongoing record that can be referenced when confronting similar
problems in the future. In addition, crime mapping technology can contribute
significantly to broader problem-solving efforts and can provide officers (often through
in-car computers) with up-to-date information regarding recent trends and locations of
incidents and problems in their beats.

Partnerships

Technology can also facilitate partnerships through increased police
communication with the public. Community policing encourages agencies to develop
two-way communication systems that can be enhanced through such means as online
reporting systems and interactive applications (surveys, maps), reverse 911, e-mail alerts,
and discussion forums, thereby facilitating ongoing dialog and increased transparency.
Databases of potential partners can also be developed that include information on the
historical relationships with specific partners and the potential human and financial
resources they can bring to address various problems. These databases can then be
searched for specific public safety problems that the police are addressing.

Organizational Transformation

Technology can enhance organizational supports for community policing by
improving internal communication systems through electronic memos, reports,
newsletters, and e-mail. It can also improve incident reporting through electronic reports,
resulting in greater accuracy and increased efficiency that can feed problem-solving and
crime analysis efforts. Technology can also improve dispatch and reduce response times,
resulting in greater time to engage in proactive efforts. Technology allows for greater
coordination and communications interoperability with other entities for more efficient
operations and coordinated responses. Community policing also encourages the use of
technology to develop accountability and performance measurement systems that are
timely and contain accurate metrics and a broader array of measures linked to community
policing principles through CompStat-like and early intervention systems. Technology,
particularly effective Internet sites, can also greatly enhance recruitment efforts and can
be used to provide online training around community policing topics.

It should be noted that any information made more readily available through
technology is not useful if attention is not paid to its quality and accuracy. Community
policing encourages agencies to put safeguards in place to ensure that all information that
they collect from various sources are entered into central systems that are linked to one
another and are checked for accuracy. Analysis and information is only as good as the
source. If information is to be used effectively to enhance partnerships, problem solving,
and organizational transformation efforts, it must collected systematically and be of high
quality.